It has been raining like stink in Seattle for the past 24 or so hours and the stinkage looks to continue for another 24 hours. This phenomenon is euphemistically referred to as “An Atmospheric River” or artfully called “The Pineapple Express”. Whatever you want to call it it’s a bloody fucking deluge. It’s the kind of rain that falls in LA in the 1982 release of “Blade Runner”. The kind of rain that my Dad would have described as “A cow pissing on a flat rock”.
The kind of rain that gets Seattleites, who have never met each other and who are accustomed to rain, striking up conversations at the gas station about the weather. Like the conservative looking woman driving an SUV with bumper stickers touting “Make America Great Again”, “Trump is God’s Chosen One” and “We Visited the Ark Encounter, Williamstown KY” asking me at the gas pump “What the Fuck is with this rain?” Sadly, I have no answers for any of her life’s questions.
Ultimately it is the kind of rain that makes my sump pump kick on every 2 minutes.
Over the years I have learned that my sump pump serves as canary in a coal mine. When I hear it run, I set my timer and check when it goes on again. If it is running every 20 minutes life is good. If it is running every 13 minutes, I can expect some water on the floor soon. Not a big deal but not what you hope for in life. When it gets to 10-minute intervals I need to have the portable pumps and wet vac staged and ready to roll. This rain event went from nothing at all to 2 minute intervals. Soon, I found myself timing the pump runs to the second as 120 seconds is significantly better than 100 seconds, right?
Wondering how this event snuck up on me I consulted the Cliff Mass Blog. Cliff is to Pacific Northwest weather what Clapton is to the guitar and he said:
“A potent and nearly stationary atmospheric river is bringing the threat of flooding and landslides to western Washington and Oregon, with the situation more serious than earlier forecast.”
“A potent and nearly stationary atmospheric river is bringing the threat of flooding and landslides to western Washington and Oregon, with the situation more serious than earlier forecast.”
Really? More serious than forecast? “D’ja think?
“The latest forecast model predictions though 4AM Sunday predicts another 2-5 inches over the south Sound. This is very unusual. Seattle is going to end up with the wettest day in decades (not just a daily record) Streets are flooding. Many Seattle streets are under water, at least partially.”
Oh good! The wettest day in decades. I guess that I should be glad that the water is just in the basement right now and all of my pumps are functional. A friend posted an image of his lakefront property and his dock is MIA. Totally gone. Taken away by the wettest day in history.
Update:
Things have improved overnight. I woke up to just 2-3 inches of water in the basement. Most of that has been dealt with and I am gaining the upper hand. The sump pump is running at 6 ½ minute intervals. I have looked high and low and my buddy’s dock isn’t down here.
